30 Best College Running Backs of All-Time
Career Statistics
- Games: 47
- Carries: 1,163
- Rushing Yards: 6,526
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 138.9
- Rushing Yards Per Season: 1,631.5
- Rushing Touchdowns: 59
- Yards Per Carry: 5.6
- Receptions: 42
- Receiving Yards: 415
- Receiving Touchdowns: 4
- Notable: Heisman Trophy Winner, All-American, Maxwell Award, 1976
One of the early beneficiaries of freshman eligibility in college football, Tony Dorsett exploded onto the scene in his first season with the Pitt Panthers in 1973 – just one year after the NCAA allowed freshmen to compete in intercollegiate athletics.
Dorsett carried the football 318 times in his first year on campus, which led the nation, and he gained 1,686 rushing yards and scored 13 touchdowns as a freshman. His 332 touches and 1,777 yards from scrimmage were also more than anyone else in the country.
Over the next two season, Dorsett ran for 1,004 and 1686 yards, respectively, and scored a total of 27 touchdowns. However, he saved the best for last. As a senior in 1976, Dorsett amassed a then single-season record 2,150 rushing yards on an eye-popping 370 attempts. He scored 22 touchdowns on the ground, added one more on a TD reception, and led the Panthers to a 12-0 record and the national championship. Dorsett also won the Heisman Trophy.
When Dorsett left Pitt, he was the all-time Division I leader with 6,526 rushing yards. That record stood for more than 20 years.
Next: Herschel Walker